Evocation Archmage LOVE IT!

[Jaid314]

I had a human 20 wiz that I tr'd right back into a wiz thats now helf dilli cleric and yes i know some people don't care for the helf class at all. But I must say that people that say you can only self heal with it are off base I have saved several pugs from wiping because of my ability to heal. I also think taking anything beyond MM SLA is kinda a waste take the arcane bolt and blast tree it would be better in terms of sp drain to damage i think. I can't give exact numbers since i can never get an accurate read on if my enhancement lines are affecting bolt/blast.

they are, but from what it looks like arcane bolt and blast use regular dice, not loaded dice (ie 1, 2, and 3 are actual possible values to roll on the d6, whereas with most spells that use a d6 only 4, 5, and 6 are possible)

but don't forget, magic missile and chain missile get metamagics.

[Cairo]

I had a human 20 wiz that I tr'd right back into a wiz thats now helf dilli cleric and yes i know some people don't care for the helf class at all. But I must say that people that say you can only self heal with it are off base I have saved several pugs from wiping because of my ability to heal. I also think taking anything beyond MM SLA is kinda a waste take the arcane bolt and blast tree it would be better in terms of sp drain to damage i think. I can't give exact numbers since i can never get an accurate read on if my enhancement lines are affecting bolt/blast.

Helf on Light Monks is an amazing race. Curse of Healing, the Monk Light3 Finisher, PLUS being able to use rez scrolls and Heal scrolls no-fail at level 15 is nice for backup healing.

[Darkrok]

I like this build even better when it's done on a wiz/rog. You're more survivable, bring the trapping/picking to the table, and lose very little from the rogue splash because almost everything you use doesn't require a SR check. You also mitigate your smaller sp-pool with the SLA's providing your damage.

Here's my build for that:
Force Wiz/Rog

[Cairo]

I like this build even better when it's done on a wiz/rog. You're more survivable, bring the trapping/picking to the table, and lose very little from the rogue splash because almost everything you use doesn't require a SR check. You also mitigate your smaller sp-pool with the SLA's providing your damage.

Here's my build for that:
Force Wiz/Rog

If youre gonna stay Evo and not run many epics, yeah, the Wiz/Rog is great. But for epics, losing out on the Capstone, 2 levels of Wiz spell slots, SPs, etc, hurts.

Wiz/Rog for leveling is awesome, then a +3 lesser heart @ 20, or TR for higher Spell Pen

[Propane]

Hay peps -

We had a talk about this a while back, might find some good info in this thread...

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=296715

That being said, I am alittle disappointed with arcane bolt/blast.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=298013

Still, as it works today, you can some some dmg without buring through you SP too fast....

[elgaeb]

My Evo/archmage is currently at lvl 7 and I'm loving the build too!! I also am investing in enchantment because at higher lvls its pretty mandatory to have good enchantment. But right now at lvl 7 I solo with no hirelings, no special gear, and no problems Someone mentioned to invest in move silently and hide.... thoughts?

[Jaid314]

My Evo/archmage is currently at lvl 7 and I'm loving the build too!! I also am investing in enchantment because at higher lvls its pretty mandatory to have good enchantment. But right now at lvl 7 I solo with no hirelings, no special gear, and no problems Someone mentioned to invest in move silently and hide.... thoughts?

with the amount of skill points you have, you may as well. what else are you going to spend it on?

(well, really, what else are you going to spend it on that is actually useful is a better question i guess)

[Cairo]

with the amount of skill points you have, you may as well. what else are you going to spend it on?

(well, really, what else are you going to spend it on that is actually useful is a better question i guess)

I just TRd my wiz into a WF, Im maxing Conc, Balance, Haggle, UMD, putting Jump to 10 ranks, 1 in Tumble, the rest in Diplomacy, Intimidate, and spot.

Diplo and Intim are nice for multiple reasons: pulling aggro of the cleric in quests (a quick-switch intim item + GH pulls regular quest trash easily, then you FW it while playing leapfrog), getting aggro off you when you dont want it, and NPC interaction in quests.

@ 20, with 6 base Cha, and max ranks in Intim or Diplo, it's +9. Toss on a +6 Cha item, that takes it to +12, a GS +6 cha Skills item (Conc Opp Goggles) takes it to +18, GH makes that +22, VotM makes it +23, +15 intim item makes it +38. (and if you ever snag a +2 tome or +4 tome, that just makes it +39 or +40)

+38 Intim is plenty to hit quest NPC DCs such as Crucible or Von1, etc, as well as get aggro from non-epic non-raid trash.

Hide/MS are nice, but I've used Sneak ONCE, in Epic Claw, and it was a bigger PITA than just killing the scorps, plus sneaking doesnt get you scrolls.

[bryanmeerkat]

Yeah that's pretty much it Cairo. It might be worth noting that I had the stuff to make a Master Transmuters staff at level 12 too. It gives you a Superior Potency 6, I think that has a lot to do with my spells hitting so hard. I run with maximize and empower on as it affects the SLA but doesn't cost more!

Just a note on the Master Transmuters staff , I have found that its pretty trashy , I instead use a superior potency 6 club and a major kinetic lore sickle . The rest of the stuff on the staff apart from sup pot 6 are pretty poor and dont help with the business end of the force missiles . +5/6 on a neck or ring for intel .

[LordArkan]

Potency?

Screw that. Get some Superior Impact clickies. Not like you need to cast any non-force damage spells.

[bryanmeerkat]

Potency?

Screw that. Get some Superior Impact clickies. Not like you need to cast any non-force damage spells.

This is also true , but if you are lazy with clickies like me then this works .

Generally my strategy has changed now for soloing I just zerg through to the next shrine/boss with haste/displacement , chuck up a firewall and kill anything that wont run into the firewall but still wants to follow ( casters and ranged ) with the force spells . So having a decent firewall is nice too

[MindCake]

I activate superior inferno and superior impact, then switch to fire and kinetic lore scepters.

For the skills I'm getting:
Essentials:
concentration
umd

Extras:
balance
spot
jump (I'll probably stop when it's about 10 unbuffed)

Stuff I basically take just because I have too many points and perhaps some of it may get useful at some point:
diplomacy
move silently
hide

And something else I learned last week - Prismatic Ray/Spray damage is Force-based.. yes, all the damage. No matter if it's fire, acid, elec, whatever, it's all based off your Force enhances and items.

So, full spec force AM? Go on, pop a Color Spray into that group of mobs, watch half of em die to the Violet Beam, the other half take 300pts of damage, and pop a Max/Emp SLA Chain Missile for another 300 to finish the rest of the group off!

Are you sure of that? I haven't had the chance to try it yet (just got the ray myself), but the wiki says Prismatic Spray/Ray takes your best gear and enhancements from all the categories.
So for example, if you're full force specced it works as if it was force based. Element specced- works like a fire/ice spell.

[Majere_Aumar]

At lvl 18 with only 9/10 missiles available, I've seen my chain missile spell crit for 650-710 using eardweller.

Normal damage figures for wizard missiles using eardweller item is 24 or 30. Crits with maximum enhancements and major lore item are 66 or 82.

Its pretty awesome considering there's no resists for it.

The melee crowd had a DPS competition once where they would see who could beat the portal in the Reaver's Refuge ice valley area the fastest.
At level 17 before using an eardweller when my missiles only critted for 52 and I was missing 1 x chain missile/past life magic missile/force missile, I was only 3 seconds off the time of the winning dps melee (I didn't use ice storm either).

At level 19, I'm gonna shut the dps melee crowd up

[Valiance]

I activate superior inferno and superior impact, then switch to fire and kinetic lore scepters.

This.

Is how you do it. Superior inferno for your firewall/fireball, superior impact for 75% boost to all force spells (including arcane bolt/blast), then major fire/kinetic lore to give boost to both crit chance and dmg for both.

I have a level 14wiz/1rog evocation AM right now and it's still crazy. Chain missiles is the stuff right there. Not taking chain missiles would be a huge mistake.

V

[sirgog]

The problem with choosing WF is that the single best piece of equipment for this spec, the (new version of the) Epic Robe of Dissonance, is fleshie-only. That makes the decision difficult.

I'm playing a human Enchanter/Evoker, and have had no trouble running epics in groups, or solo scroll farming. The Evocation spells are a godsend while scrollfarming - hit a dangerous mob with the 3SP Resistable Dance (extended, so it lasts for about three months), then 'pew pew pew' away.

[Dark-Star]

What am I missing? How is the robe better than a Sup Impulse clicky?

[sirgog]

What am I missing? How is the robe better than a Sup Impulse clicky?

It's almost always active, and can be activated without spending three seconds activating it in combat.

[Dark-Star]

It's almost always active, and can be activated without spending three seconds activating it in combat.

I suppose. For me I find that clicking on the Sup Impact item (cast time like .25 secs) running between fights to be more effective, they last 3 minutes each and give 75% damage vs. 50%. Also frees up a precious armor slot.

[Delt]

Not sure what you guys are so excited about -- I am trying evo archmage in a current wiz life (lvl 18 atm) and it doesn't seem especially useful towards end game. I'm not firing off eardwellers and what not, but with some investment in force spec, I am looking at 450ish for the chains, + whatever for the normal MM.

Nice and all but not clutch. I find the PM clickie damage to be comparable (DW aside). If I was going to play an archmage for current end game (and not just a quick romp through a wiz life), I'd most assuredly go Enchant.

That said, having decent damage, low/no sp clickies on casters is nice (and about time). Keeps them fun to play in groups with less concern on sp management. I hope the savants get something similar...I am almost positive they will.

[Valiance]

I suppose. For me I find that clicking on the Sup Impact item (cast time like .25 secs) running between fights to be more effective, they last 3 minutes each and give 75% damage vs. 50%. Also frees up a precious armor slot.

This 100%.

3 minute clickies are not hard at all to keep going.

My tip to all casters both arcane and divine everywhere. EMBRACE THE CLICKIES!

They are the best thing ever. The extra effectiveness alone makes them well worth it but to then be able to have that running without using any weapon or gear slot is invaluable. Clerics hit the Amrath belt clickies religiously (get it). Arcanes hit them all the time....line them up on your hot bar so you can hit fire, ice, impact, elec or acid, mending, ect. Then grab your major ____ lore item and roll around knowing that your spells are at the peak of their power.

Do it.

V